Insulating Drink Holder with Level

ABSTRACT

An insulated beverage holder or koozie that features a bubble level set into its base in disclosed. The bubble level is visible through a pair of openings in the sides of the base. The device may be used practically by people working on construction or furniture building to both keep drinks cool and check the levelness of just-completed work. Alternatively, the device may be used socially for those consuming beverages together to comment on the levelness of the surfaces around them.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to insulating beverage holders and in particular to insulating beverage holders with features of a novelty item. Insulating beverage holders, commonly called koozies, are well known in the prior art as a means of keeping a drink cold for a longer period than it would without such insulation. The conventional design is an open-topped cylinder of insulating material, such as Neoprene, affixed to a bottom piece, which may be of the same insulating material or may be of a rigid material, such as rigid plastic. Such items are often enhanced with indicia or with novelty toys and devices set in to the sides or base. The present invention provides a unique example of such a novelty item.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to an insulated beverage holder or koozie that features a bubble level set into its base. The bubble level is visible through a pair of openings in the sides of the base. The device may be used practically by people working on construction or furniture building to both keep drinks cool and check the levelness of just-completed work. Alternatively, the device may be used socially for those consuming beverages together to comment on the levelness of the surfaces around them.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a side-elevated view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a horizontal cross-section of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention, the cross section being at approximately the vertical center of the base portion of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the device is an insulated beverage holder with a bubble level built in. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the first exemplary embodiment; reference numbers are consistent across the two figures. In the first exemplary embodiment, an insulating cylinder 1 having an open top 2 is provided. The insulating cylinder 1 is attached by adhesive or by being molded as a single article to a base 3. The base 3 has two openings on opposite sides that visually reveal a liquid-containing tube 5 containing an air bubble 6 such that the air bubble six will be urged to either side of the tube 5 when the tube 5 is tipped and to the center of the tube 5 when the tube 5 is level. The liquid used may be a colored water-based liquid, a natural or artificial oil, or other liquid. The effect occurs according to the well-known principle that when fluids of substantially differing densities are mixed (in this case air with a liquid), the less dense fluid will separate out from the denser fluid and float on top.

The insulating cylinder 1 and base 3 may be of the same or different materials. The insulating material may be a flexible heat-resistant plastic or rubber product, such as Neoprene. The base 3 may be rigid or pliable, and may be made from plastic, natural or synthetic rubber, or other insulating material. The openings 4 in the base 3 penetrate all the way through the base 3 but for the presence of the tube 5. The top of the base 3 may be made optically transparent or exposed to the opening 4 so that the tube 5 may be seen through an optically transparent beverage container. The tube 5, contained liquid, and air bubble 6 are all of the types and manufacturing techniques commonly used for the manufacture of bubble levels, which are devices well known in the prior art.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A device for holding a beverage container comprising: (a) a vertically oriented cylindrical tube itself comprising at least one panel of elastic material; (b) a flat base; (c) said flat base being fixedly attached to said vertically oriented cylindrical tube such that said flat base covers or fills the lower end of said vertically oriented cylindrical tube; (d) a sealed tube containing a measured quantity of liquid and a measured quantity of undissolved gas; (e) said sealed tube being located and secured in a horizontal orientation within said flat base; and (f) said flat base having a plurality of openings in its vertical side through which said sealed tube may be seen; whereby said vertically oriented cylindrical tube may surround a beverage container and whereby a user may test the levelness of a surface on which said device is set by observing a bubble formed by said measured quantity of gas within said sealed tube.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said sealed tube is marked with a plurality of vertical lines indication a region where a bubble of said gas is located when said device is placed on a surface that is level.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said elastic material has thermal insulating properties.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said flat base is made of an elastic material having thermal insulating properties.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said flat base is made of a rigid plastic material.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said flat base is circular.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage can.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage bottle.
 9. The device of claim 1 wherein: (a) said sealed tube is marked with a plurality of vertical lines indication a region where a bubble of said gas is located when said device is placed on a surface that is level; (b) said elastic material has thermal insulating properties; and (c) said flat base is circular.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein said flat base is made of a rigid plastic material.
 11. The device of claim 9 wherein said flat base is circular.
 12. The device of claim 10 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage can.
 13. The device of claim 10 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage bottle.
 14. The device of claim 11 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage can.
 15. The device of claim 11 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage bottle.
 19. The device of claim 9 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage can.
 17. The device of claim 9 wherein said vertically oriented cylindrical tube is of an inside radius and height complementary to the outside radius and height of a common beverage bottle. 